Potential of the Nintendo Wii™ as a rehabilitation tool for children with cerebral palsy in a developing country: a pilot study

ObjectivesTo explore the possibility of using the Nintendo Wii™ as a rehabilitation tool for children with cerebral palsy (CP) in a developing country, and determine whether there is potential for an impact on their gross motor function.DesignPilot study with a pre–post-test design.SettingSir John Golding Rehabilitation Center, Jamaica, West Indies.ParticipantsSeven children, aged 6 to 12 years, with dyskinetic CP were recruited for the study. One child dropped out at week 4.InterventionTraining with the Nintendo Wii was conducted twice weekly for 6 weeks. The games used were Wii Sports Boxing, Baseball and Tennis.Main outcome measuresPercentage attendance over the 6-week period, percentage of sessions for which the full duration of training was completed, and changes in gross motor function using the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM).ResultsAll six participants who completed the study had 100% attendance, and all were able to complete the full 45 minutes of training at every session. Those who were wheelchair bound participated in two games, whilst those who were ambulant played three games. The mean GMFM score increased from 62.83 [standard deviation (SD) 24.86] to 70.17 (SD 23.67).ConclusionThe Nintendo Wii has the potential for use as a rehabilitation tool in the management of children with CP. Clinical trials should be conducted in this area to determine whether this could be an effective tool for improving gross motor function.